Claire Snyder-Hall

Photo Courtesy of Claire Snyder-Hall

By Joseph Edelen

REHOBOTH BEACH — Claire Snyder-Hall has stepped down from her post as executive director of Common Cause Delaware to pursue the 14th District seat in Delaware’s House of Representatives.

Having led the pro-democracy nonprofit from November 2021 until her resignation Jan. 31, Ms. Snyder-Hall said now is the right time to run, given the importance of the 2024 election.

“We’re facing a series of crises right now: Choice is on the ballot, democracy’s on the ballot, and the American dream itself is on the ballot, as we face all these crises that are threatening our prosperity and hope for the future around housing, health care, education and the environment,” the Democrat said.

“I just felt that the time was right to move, not beyond the democracy agenda, but to add to the issues that I could work on.”

The 14th Representative District, which encompasses the Rehoboth Beach area, has been served by former Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf, a Democrat, for more than 20 years. During the final day of the legislative session last year, however, he announced his plan to retire following his term.

Since reporting her candidacy Jan. 31, Ms. Snyder-Hall has begun visiting constituents in the district to garner support.

In those conversations, she said, there has been an enthusiastic reception to her candidacy, notably from women who are excited about the prospect of electing the district’s first female representative.

In addition, Ms. Snyder-Hall has raised more than $15,000 and received endorsements from Rep. Eric Morrison, D-Glasgow, and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, D-Woodbrook.

“People know me as somebody who’s fighting for protecting and strengthening democracy, and communication is something that I’m big on. It will be important to mobilize constituents to make their voices heard on issues that affect them,” she added.

Ms. Snyder-Hall is not a political newcomer in the region. After moving to Rehoboth permanently in 2011, she challenged then-Sen. Ernie Lopez for the 6th District seat in 2014. Mr. Lopez won that election, about 63%-37%.

During her time at Common Cause, Ms. Snyder-Hall was an advocate for legislative issues like vote-by-mail and to prevent a controversial bill to allow limited liability corporations the power to vote in Seaford municipal elections.

Should she be elected, the pro-choice Democrat hopes to work on a variety of issues relating to housing, health care and education.

In terms of legislative priorities, Ms. Snyder-Hall noted specific issues facing her district — like the shortage of available health care providers — plus existing initiatives in the General Assembly, such as Medicaid coverage for abortion, establishing an independent inspector general’s office and campaign finance reform.

“I’m very committed to the democracy agenda, and I’ve worked on that for most of my professional life, being a democratic theory professor before I moved here,” she said. “But there’s also a lot of other issues that are pressing that are close to my heart.”

As of Monday, Ms. Snyder-Hall was one of two candidates who had filed for the Democratic primary in the 14th District. She joins Marty Rendon, a commissioner on the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission and a former vice president for public policy and advocacy for UNICEF.

The two are the only contenders so far in the race for the House seat.